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The Stuttgart Driving Simulator currently under construction at the University of Stuttgart makes out the main component of the University's new automotive research platform. The facility will be one of the largest of its kind in Europe. The simulator is based on a powerful eight axes motion system to realistically recreate the linear and rotary motion as perceived by the driver during a real trip. To add further value to the driving simulator, it is designed to house a real vehicle which can be easily exchanged - from small passenger cars up to large luxury sedan vehicles as well as SUVs. To assure a sound testing environment, the driving simulator features a realistic graphical and acoustic representation of the vehicle environment such as roadway, environment, and traffic. This is achieved through a complex surround visualization system with very high level of detail as well as an advanced spatial acoustic noise generator.

In this paper it will be shown how a database containing information of the road characteristics of a frequently driven route can be automatically generated and continually updated in a vehicle during each drive. The contained information can be used as foresight information in predictive driving strategies. By using only drive train information, standard sensors (e.g. from ESC and ABS), and a GPS relevant road characteristics (curves, slopes, speed limits, etc) can be identified during the drive, stored in an on-board database, and used to optimize fuel consumption or driving comfort in subsequent trips along the route. The system is verified using a driving simulator with a 3D surround graphics system.